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Changes to the commemorative plaques scheme

Manchester City Council has recently revived its commemorative plaque scheme. The plaques are now patinated bronze rather than coloured plaques. The scheme is being co-ordinated by Manchester City Galleries and further information on the scheme and how to make a nomination (which must be self-funded) can be found via the Manchester Galleries website.

Previous scheme details

The City Council has sponsored a programme of commemorative plaques celebrating buildings and sites associated with famous people and, more recently, events of importance.

All commemorative plaques up to 1984 were in blue ceramic encaustic ware, subsequent plaques are cast aluminium. In 1985 colour coding was introduced:

Blue to commemorate people

Red to commemorate events of importance to the social history of the city

Black for buildings of special architectural or historic interest

Green for subjects which fall into none of the other categories

There are no rigid or formal rules for the selection of plaques, but generally the person commemorated should have been eminent and sufficiently famous for his or her name to be familiar to a succeeding generation. No commemoration is generally undertaken until 25 years after death.

The responsibility for researching the facts, ensuring sitings are accurate, manufacturing and funding plaques now rests with those making the request.